Military personnel from Pakistan and India exchanged gunfire overnight along the Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir, according to officials on Friday, following a United Nations appeal for both nuclear-armed nations to exercise “maximum restraint” after a fatal shooting in the area.
Ties between the two nations have deteriorated to their lowest point in years, with India accusing Pakistan of facilitating “cross-border terrorism” after militants executed the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested Muslim-majority region of Kashmir in 25 years.
Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government representative in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, informed AFP on Friday that the two sides engaged in gunfire along the Line of Control (LOC) that delineates the countries.
The Indian army confirmed that there had been a limited exchange of small arms fire that they indicated had been “initiated by Pakistan,” adding that they had responded “effectively.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to track down the assailants responsible for the deaths of 26 civilians at the renowned tourist destination of Pahalgam, after Indian police identified two of the three fleeing gunmen as being from Pakistan.
“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” Modi said, in his first speech since Tuesday’s attack in the Himalayan region.
“We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”
Denying any connection, Islamabad termed the efforts to associate Pakistan with the Pahalgam attack as “frivolous” and vowed to react to any Indian actions.
Since their independence in 1947, Kashmir has been partitioned between India and Pakistan, with both claiming the territory in its entirety while governing separate areas. Since 1989, insurgent groups have launched an insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking either independence or unification with Pakistan.
Both the Indian Air Force and Navy conducted military drills on Thursday.
According to Indian police, the three gunmen are affiliated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. They have announced a bounty of two million rupees ($23,500) for information leading to the capture of each individual.
